BADEN POWELL PRIMARY SCHOOL

CHILD PROTECTION AND SAFEGUARDING POLICY

1.  Key Contacts

Key contact list for safeguarding in Baden Powell School

Name / Telephone Contact / Email
Designated Person / Victoria Simmons / 0208 985 6176 /
Deputy Designated Persons / Stephen Smith / 0208 985 6176 /
Safeguarding Governor / Chair of Governors / Andrew Bethell

This document should be read in conjunction with the health and safety policy, the Female Genital Mutilation Policy, the Prevent Policy and the E-Safety Policy.

2.  Purpose

An effective whole-school child protection policy is one which provides clear direction to staff and others about expected behaviour when dealing with child protection issues. An effective policy also makes explicit the school’s commitment to the development of good practice and sound procedures. This ensures that child protection concerns, referrals and monitoring may be handled sensitively, professionally and in ways which support the needs of the child. This policy fits in with Hackney Safeguarding Children Board child protection procedures.

3.  Introduction

3.1 Baden Powell takes its responsibility to protect and safeguard the welfare of children and young people in its care seriously. “The welfare of the child is paramount” (Children Act 1989).

3.2 Section 175 of the Education Act 2002 places a statutory responsibility on the governing body to have policies and procedures in place that safeguard and promote the welfare of children who are pupils of the school (Working Together 2013).

3.3 Section 11 of the Children’s Act 2004 sets out the arrangements that Education services and schools must make to promote the welfare of and safeguard children and young people, “All schools and further education institutions have a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Consequently staff in these establishments, play an important part in safeguarding children from abuse and neglect by early identification of children who may be vulnerable or at risk of harm and by educating children, about managing risks and improving their resilience through the curriculum. All schools and further education institutions should create and maintain a safe environment for children and young people, and should be able to manage situations where there are child welfare concerns”.

3.4 There are four main elements to this child protection policy;

a)  Safer Recruitment processes are followed to ensure that those who are unsuitable to work with children are not employed.

b)  Prevention through the creation of a positive school atmosphere and the teaching, and pastoral support offered to pupils.

c)  Protection by following agreed procedures, ensuring staff are trained and supported to respond appropriately and sensitively to child protection concerns.

d) Support to pupils who may have been abused

3.5 This policy applies to all pupils, staff, governors, volunteers and visitors to

Baden Powell School

3.6 This school recognises it is responsible for making referrals and not for making enquiries and investigating.

4.  School Policy

4.1 We recognise that for our pupils, high self-esteem, confidence, supportive friends and clear lines of communication with a trusted adult helps to prevent abuse.

4.2 This school will therefore:

a)  Establish and maintain an environment where pupils feel safe and secure and are encouraged to talk, and are listened to.

b)  Ensure that pupils know that there are adults within the school who they can approach if they are worried or are in difficulty.

c)  Include in the curriculum activities and opportunities for PHSE, which equip pupils with the skills they need to stay safe from abuse; including from the risk of radicalisation, Female Genital Mutilation and online abuse.

d)  Include in the curriculum, material which will help pupils develop realistic attitudes to the responsibilities of adult life, particularly with regard to childcare and parenting skills.

e) Ensure that wherever possible every effort will be made to establish effective working relationships with parents and colleagues from partner agencies.

5.  Roles and Responsibility

5.1 All adults working with or on behalf of children have a responsibility to protect them. There are, however, key people within schools and the Local Authority who have specific responsibilities under child protection procedures. The names of those carrying out these responsibilities for the current year are listed in section 1 of this document.

5.2 It is the role of the Designated Person to ensure that all of the child protection procedures are followed within the school, and to make appropriate, timely referrals to Referral and Assessment Team, LB Hackney, in accordance with school procedures. If the child resides out of the London Borough of Hackney area it is the responsibility of the Designated Person to make contact with the appropriate child protection team for that authority and follow their procedures on how to make a referral. If for any reason the Designated Person is unavailable, a Deputy Designated Person has been identified who will act in their absence (see section 1). Additionally, it is the role of the Designated Child Protection Person to ensure all staff employed including temporary staff and volunteers within the school are aware of the school’s internal child protection procedures, to advise staff and to offer support to those requiring this.

5.3 The Designated Person and the Head teacher provide an annual report for the governing body detailing any changes to the policy and procedures; training undertaken by all staff and governors and other relevant issues.

5.4 The Governing Body are responsible for nominating a governor to take the lead in overseeing safeguarding. The role of the Nominated Governor for Safeguarding is to ensure that the school has an effective policy, that guidelines are complied with and to support the school in this aspect. Governors must not be given details relating to individual child protection cases or situations to ensure confidentiality is not breached. The Governing Body are responsible for ensuring the school follows all of its procedures relating to safeguarding including safer recruitment, allegations management and whistle blowing.

5.5 The Lead Officer in Education for Safeguarding and the Children and Young People’s Safeguarding Worker are available to offer advice and support around safeguarding and procedural issues. Specific training is available for the school’s Designated Child Protection Person.

5.6 The Designated Person will be responsible for addressing any barriers to effective inter-agency working and will report to the Head teacher when it has an effect on safeguarding children.

6.  Procedures

6.1 Staff are kept informed about child protection responsibilities and procedures through induction, briefings and ongoing awareness training. There may be other adults in the school who rarely work unsupervised, more usually working alongside members of the school staff e.g. contractors. The Head Teacher will ensure they are aware of the school’s policy and the identity of the Designated Child Protection Person.

6.2 Any member of staff, volunteer or visitor to the school who receives a disclosure of abuse, an allegation or suspects that abuse may have occurred must report it immediately to the Designated Person or in their absence, the Deputy Designated Person. In the absence of either of the above, the matter should be brought to the attention of the most senior member of staff.

6.3 The Designated Person or their Deputy will immediately refer cases of suspected or actual abuse or allegations to the Referral and Assessment Team for London Borough of Hackney cases or the appropriate local authority where the child lives outside of Hackney. If the incident of abuse actually occurred within Hackney it will be referred to London Borough of Hackney Referral & Assessment Team.

6.4 The Designated Person or Deputy will follow the most up to date referral procedures for London Borough of Hackney’s Referral and Assessment Team such as using the most up to date referral form.

6.5 To decide whether a referral to the Referral and Assessment Team is appropriate the Designated Person (or Deputy) will contact the Referral and Assessment Team by phone to assist in decision making.

6.6 Once this is determined all referrals to the Referral and Assessment Team will be made using the Referral Form

6.7 Where there is a child protection concern, allegation or disclosure a phone call will immediately be made to the Referral and Assessment Team (or Emergency Duty Team if outside of office hours) to alert them to the situation. The Referral Form will be completed by the school after this and sent to the Referral and Assessment Team within 24 hours. Delay in referring cases immediately may place the child at further risk and may prevent the Referral and Assessment team from putting in place timely protective measures for the child or young person. If the concern is around radicalisation, the school will refer to the Channel team.

6.8 If it is decided that the referral does not meet the thresholds for the Referral and Assessment Team completion of a Common Assessment Framework (CAF) will be considered.

6.9 In cases where the child resides outside of London Borough of Hackney the Designated Person will make themselves familiar with referral processes for the child protection team in the child’s home authority.

6.10 The school will always take advice from the Referral and Assessment Team and or the Police regarding before sharing the decision to refer a child to the Referral and Assessment Team with the parents or carers. In some cases to do so could place the child at greater risk of harm or impede a criminal investigation and we will follow the advice given by the Referral and Assessment Team or the Police.

6.11 A statement in the school brochure and on the school website will inform parents and carers about our school’s duties and responsibilities under child protection procedures.

This policy will be made freely available to parents and carers on the school website and in hardcopy on request.

7. Training and Support

7.1 The Head Teacher and all other staff who work with children will undertake appropriate child protection awareness training to equip them to carry out their responsibilities for child protection effectively, that is kept up to date by refresher training at three yearly intervals. This includes agency and temporary staff. The Designated person and the deputies will deliver yearly refresher training through safe guarding staff meetings. Any staff members who have not had external training, will have internal training and support.

7.2 The Designated Person will ensure that all staff complete training and that this is refreshed every three years. Staff training records will be kept up to date to monitor this.

7.3 The Designated Person and any nominated Deputy’s will complete local authority Designated Person Training and this will be refreshed every two years. This will be recorded on staff training records and monitored by the Designated Person. Relevant training around the Prevent Agenda and Female Genital Mutation will also be undertaken by the Designated Person and this will then be used to deliver training to the staff at Baden Powell.

7.4 The Safeguarding Governor will have oversight of all child protection training records to ensure that this is taking place in a timely manner

7.5 Where there are concerns and queries about child protection support will be available for all school staff from the Designated Person, and their Deputy’s. The Designated Person will seek support from the Head teacher and appropriate local authority staff where needed.

8. Professional Confidentiality

8.1 Confidentiality is an issue which needs to be discussed and fully understood by all those working with children, particularly in the context of child protection. The only purpose of confidentiality in this respect is to benefit the child. A member of staff must never guarantee confidentiality to a pupil nor should they agree with a pupil to keep a secret, as where there is a child protection concern this must be reported to the Designated Person and may require further investigation by appropriate authorities. Children can be reassured that only the people who “need to know” will be informed, that this will be the minimum necessary and that information will not become common knowledge.

8.2 Staff will be informed of relevant information in respect of individual cases regarding child protection on a ‘need to know basis’ only. Where information is shared with appropriate staff they must maintain confidentiality.

9. Records and Monitoring

9.1 Well-kept records are essential to good child protection practice. Our school is clear about the need to record any concern held about a child or children within our school, the status of such records and when these records should be passed over to other agencies.

9.2 Any member of staff receiving a disclosure of abuse or noticing signs or indicators of abuse, must make an accurate record as soon as possible noting what was said or seen, putting the event in context, and giving the date, time and location. All records will be dated and signed and will include the action taken. Making the record should not delay referring the disclosure to the Designated Person or appropriate authority.

9.3 These notes are kept in a confidential file, which is separate to other files, and stored in a secure place in the Head Teacher’s office in the filing cabinet. In the same way notes must be kept of any pupil who is being monitored for child protection reasons.

9.4 If a pupil transfers from the school, these files, where appropriate, will be forwarded to the pupil’s new school marked confidential and for the attention of the receiving school’s Designated Person for Safeguarding. The school will request a received receipt to be returned to us, to confirm that the files have arrived safely and have reached the correct person. In addition, a slip will be placed in the child’s school file stating that they have a child protection file to ensure the new school is made aware promptly.

10. Attendance at Child Protection and Safeguarding Meetings

10.1 It is the responsibility of the Designated Person to ensure that the school is represented and a report is submitted to any child protection conference or team around the child meeting called for children on their school roll or previously known to them. If the Designated Person is unable to attend it is their responsibility to identify someone else to attend in their place. Whoever attends should be fully briefed on any issues or concerns the school has.